LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Tuesday evening, the Lake County Republican Party decided to censure Lake County Property Appraiser candidate Mark Jordan and his brother, Lake County Tax Collector David Jordan.
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According to the Lake County GOP’s resolution passed Tuesday night, the Jordan brothers “concocted a plot to teal the Republican nomination for the Lake County Property Appraiser from incumbent, Carey Baker.”
Republican Property Appraiser Carey Baker was first elected in 2012.
The resolution goes on to state, “That the Lake County Republican Party hereby CENSURES Tax Collector David Jordan and candidate Mark Jordan for their deeply immoral and depraved actions unbecoming of a Republican official.”
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Baker had high hopes of keeping his seat, filing as an unopposed write-in candidate just before the noon qualifying deadline last Friday.
Baker did the same thing four years ago.
“The fee for running is ridiculous,” Baker said. “At the very end of qualifying, when there’s only a few seconds left on the clock, if there’s no one behind me, I file to run as a write-in candidate, and that literally saves my contributors $11,0000.”
Unbeknownst to Baker, there was someone behind him this time around.
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Baker told Lake County Tax Collector David Jordan about his plan to qualify as a write-in candidate along with Jordan’s brother Mark.
Mark Jordan rescinded his paperwork to keep his status on the North Lake District Hospital Board and filed to run as a property appraiser instead.
It’s legal, but Baker and his social media supporters call it a dirty trick.
“I had considered David a friend,” Baker said. “And this ended up being the greatest betrayal I’ve ever had happen to me personally. Literally, with them behind my back, I turn in my paperwork timely. I leave the building, and then they file to run, so now his name’s on the ballot; mine’s not as a write-in.”
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Channel 9 made repeated calls to the Jordan brothers, but they went straight to voicemail.
The Lake County Republican Party and some state leaders are demanding Mark Jordan to withdraw and plan to vote to censure both brothers.
“Their personal and professional reputation is disappearing as we speak,” Baker said. “So I believe Mark really has no choice by to step out of this race.”
Mark Jordan once worked at the property appraiser’s office for Baker and resigned in lieu of termination because of alleged incompetence.
Eustis Mayor Michael Holland told Channel 9 that he has resigned as Mark Jordan’s treasurer.
Holland is also chief of staff for Mark Jordan’s brother at the tax collector’s office.
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